Among the best things in life is playing printed games in person with family and close friends. When those are not convenient we like iOS Board Games.
News, reviews, previews, and opinions about board gaming on iPhones, iPads, iPods and even Android devices. (iPhone board games, iPad board games, iPod board games, Android board games)

In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.

App News

Through the Ages Making Its Way to Steam on March 26What can I say about the digital version of Through the Ages from Vlaada Chvátil and Czech Games Edition that hasn't already been said? It is, quite simply, the best digital board game port ever created and that's fact, not opinion. I have the study that proved it laying around here somewhere. I'll post it as soon as I locate it. This is what happens when you write your scinetific papers on bar napkins after a couple appletinis.

The only problem with the mobile version is its innate mobile-ness. I mean, I can't pull out my iPad at work and get away playing TtA all day. Too obvious! Instead, I need to turn my desk awkwardly so my laptop is facing away from the walkway and act like I'm enjoying my job. It's a flawless plan! Luckily, Czech Games is with me on this one and we'll all be able to experience the goodness of Through the Ages on our PCs and Macs starting on March 26.

The game is pretty much the same as the mobile version with a few UI tweaks and a larger playing field. Seriously, play it in fullscreen. It's glorious. It also works better with a mouse, in my opinion [not fact this time, I guess -ed.]. Then again, my fingers are roughly the size of pool noodles, so it might just be me.

The Steam version will launch at $10, the same price as the mobile version, but that will only last for a week. After that it goes up to its regular price. We don't know what the regular price will be, but I'm going to through out a wild guess: somewhere between $11 and $1,000,000. I'm really sticking my neck out there with that prediction, I know, but that's just the way I roll.

Original Digital Board Game, Armello, Coming to iOS Next WeekWhen Armello was announced way back in 2012 we were told that it would be coming to Steam as well as tablets. When it finally released on Steam in 2015 we were told the iOS version was coming. Since then, League of Geeks had been relatively silent on the mobile version while releasing a horde of updates and new content for the Steam version. It got to a point where we kind of assumed the iOS version was dead and LoG forgot to invite us to the funeral. Turns out the reports of Armello's death have been greatly exaggerated.

Armello is a game about furries vying for the throne because the king furry is dying of something called Rot. It's a full board game, and a really fun one at that. It's a game of exploration, combat, and card play. Lots and lots of cards to go along with lots and lots of dice. There are four ways to win the game, and each one is a viable option. I've won now using three of the different methods, and I've seen the AI win with the fourth. There are also different clans of animals and, via IAP, you can buy a bunch of new heroes. Each one has its own special abilities and feels different from the others.

It's been out on Steam since 2015 and the reviews have been consistently positive. I've been playing the beta on both my phone and iPad and it works well on both devices, but the iPad is a bit more comfortable. It works really well with the only downside being that online play is real-time due to the fact that there's a good chance you'll be busy on the other players' turns facing combat or their take-that cards.

The other downside of the iOS version is the IAP. There are two in-game currencies you earn by playing games and you'll need to spend them if you want to unlock the new heroes or clans. It's not much different than just paying cash for items, which I don't

Among the Stars Enters Beta, Looking for TestersOur friends at Cublo have done all they can with the digital version ofBrass and have been working on a digital version of Among the Stars for a while now. Looks like they're nearing completion, as yesterday they announced that they're looking for beta testers.

They were nice enough to get me into the beta test right away, so I've been dabbling a little bit in there and, wow, is it shiny. It's really, really pretty. As for gameplay, I'm not familiar with Among the Stars, so I'm still learning and I didn't realize the tutorial was in the "custom game" menu, so I'm still floundering. In other words, I'm holding off judgement on gameplay until I get a few more hours under my much-too-tight belt. I do have some video that I took, however. I'm too lazy to share it with the likes of you, however, unless you beg. That's right, beg! Okay, okay, stop. You're embarrassing yourselves. Here you go:

Ain't that pretty? I stopped it there before I embarrassed myself. There's a lot to keep track of in Among the Stars, it seems.

If you want to be a tester for iOS or Android, sign up here and see what happens. If it's like any other beta tests I've posted for, all slots will already be full, but you never know.

When is the game actually launching? After the beta. As helpful as always...

Terraforming Mars Slated for Q2 of 2018Unless you've been living under a moon rock, you're familiar with Terraforming Mars from Stronghold Games. What you might not be aware of is that it's coming to digital courtesy of our digital overlords and masters, Asmodee Digital.

We learned about the digital release at Gen Con last year, but we weren't sure when we might actually see it arrive. Asmodee posted the Steam page today (so you can add TM to your wishlist) and has the date of release marked as Q2 2018. It's not a definitive date, but it sounds like we'll be able to play TM before June, at least on our laptops. There is a mobile version coming as well, but no word yet on whether it will arrive at the same time as the Steam version or not. A real journalist would ask them, but I'm tired.

Asmodee Shows Off Scythe in Lengthy Twitch StreamEarlier this week Asmodee Digital gave us our first look at the upcoming digital version of Scythe from Stonemaier Games. It was revealed during a Twitch stream which I very responsibly slept through. Lucky for us, however, the folks over at Pocket Gamer recorded the whole thing for our enjoyment. The link to the video is below and they show off about an hour of gameplay on the PC version. Like Terraforming Mars, we know a mobile version is in the works, but if it will be coming along with the Steam version or later is a mystery. That said, the Steam release date is still showing Q1 2018, so perhaps we'll have Scythe on Steam in the next few weeks.

Watch the video over at Twitch, which you can find right here. The good stuff starts about 10 minutes in.

In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.

App News

Onitama and XenoShyft Beta Signups are OpenLet's start with a couple of surprises from our buddies at Asmodee Digital. First, apparently they're publishing one of our favorite digital ports from 2016, XenoShyft and, more importantly, pretty soon we can expect to see content from the stand-alone expansion XenoShyft: Dreadmire. How do I know this? Because I'm a journalist [he's not -ed.]. A detective [most definitely not -ed.]. A seeker of truths [he lies all the time -ed.]. That's why [truth is, he stumbled onto via Twitter -ed.].

We don't know when the Dreadmire content is coming, but we do know that you can apply right now for the beta. How????? We'll get to that later. Just hold onto your underpants. First some details...

Hey! They stole my "...and more" bit. Wait until I get hold of my lawyers! Asmodee is probably quaking in their boots...

The beta signups are currently available for iOS and Steam and I'll tell you how to access them later. LATER! CALM DOWN!

The second interesting item from Asmodee Digital comes in the form of a rather fantastic abstract, Onitama from Arcane Wonders. First, it's interesting because it means Asmodee is now publishing digital games for Arcane Wonders. Secondly, it means Onitama isn't far from making it to our mobile devices. How do I know this? BOW DOWN BEFORE MY TWITTER KNOWLEDGE!

Not only is it on the way, but Asmodee is looking for beta testers for Onitama as well! How? JUST WAIT A DAMN MINUTE!

............

Okay, whew. Now I'll tell you how to sign up. Simply follow this link and sign in with your Asmodee account. Once you do that, click on Beta Test on the left side of the screen and you'll see all the Asmodee beta tests. Pick whichever ones you want, but for the sake of this post I'd recommend signing up for Onitama and XenoShyft.

One Deck Dungeon Arrives on Early AccessThe guys at Handelabra Games made their mark on the digital board game world with their tremendous port of a game that seemed un-portable, Sentinels of the Multiverse. They followed that up last year with a great port of the much smaller game, Bottom of the 9th (2017). What I'm trying to say here is that Handelabra is in the biz of making really good game ports. Lucky for us, they're currently working on their third port and it's Asmadi Games' roguelike dungeon delver, One Deck Dungeon.

I mentioned my thoughts about the beta a few weeks ago but now I'm not special anymore and anyone with $15 can play the beta now. That's what Early Access is, ladies and gents.

One Deck Dungeon is now available for PC/Mac/Linux via Early Access on Steam so if you don't mind a game where they're still ironing out some wrinkles, you can play ODD on your laptop right now. From playing the Steam version I can tell you that those wrinkles are already pretty smooth, so if you really love One Deck Dungeon head over and pick it up now.

One caveat, however. The Early Access port is $15 and they've already announced that the released version (coming in 2-3 months) will be available for $10. So, if you head into Early Access, you'll be paying $5 more than the average Joe. I'm liking it enough that the extra $5 doesn't bother me too much, and it's pretty nice that Handelabra informed us of this pricing decision beforehand. So, jump on board now if you like or wait a couple months if you want to save $5.

Wondering about mobile? One Deck Dungeon is coming to mobile as well, but we're not sure if it will be at the same time as the Steam version or later. There is no open beta for mobile, so Early Access on your desktop/laptop is the only way to play ODD if you want to play it now.

Leaders Arrive in That One App That We Used to Mention A Lot. 7 Something...Anyone Remember?When 7 Wonders finally arrived last year it ended the best running gag in the history of iOS Board Games. I'm still upset with Repos Production for that. Anyway, the game itself was fine and dandy with some multiplayer issues and I played it for a bit and then went back to playing Through the Ages.

Today, Repos dropped something that will get me to head back into 7 Wonders-land. That would be the 7 Wonders: Leaders expansion! The best part, however, might not be the expansion it might be the fact that private games have been added to multiplayer:

Repos wrote:

-Expansion Leaders (in-app purchase)- Custom Matches : launch public and private games with your friends- Dishonor : you can now surrender a game you left- Enhancements and bug fixes

Woohoo! Let's all go reinstall this one and get some Leader games going online, shall we? The Leaders expansion is available via a $2 IAP and includes 36 Leader cards, new wonders, and new guilds.

Talisman for iOS is Free...For Now!If you've always been curious about Talisman: Digital Edition for mobile but didn't want to spend any money on it because, well, it's Talisman, today is your lucky day! Nomad Games Ltd (II) today announced (along with their publisher, Asmodee Digital. Yep, they're everywhere!) that the iOS version of Talisman is now free! At least for a little bit, so don't dawdle you Talisman slackers!

The weird thing about this, however, is Talisman on iTunes is still $4. So, what's the deal? Well, it turns out Asmodee published a new version called Talisman Lite. That's the one you want if you're a newbie. A word of warning, however. Talisman Lite is the iTunes equivalent of a heroin dealer. Sure, the first hit is free but every damn expansion and new character they've released in the last 4 years will bankrupt you. In a good way, as all that extra content is pretty sweet. But, when we say Talisman is free, we mean vanilla and somewhat boring Talisman. It's still a good deal, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Outline Development Outlines Their Next 30 DaysYou might not remember Outline Development, but your brain does. They're the folks behind board game ports like Qwixx, Camel Up, and the most stupidly named title in all of BGG, The Game. Earlier this week they tweeted that all three of those existing titles are getting updates in March. These updates are big ones bringing extra content, undo features, resuming of stopped games, and all the things that brought their games down a notch in comparison to other board game ports.

That's not all, however, they also announced that they have two unnamed board game ports on the way and, from the sound of it, they're coming in March as well. What are they? They're unnamed. I thought I covered this. In other words, I don't know. Get off my back, man! We'll find out whenever they release these mystery games sometime in the next 30 days. We'll keep you in the loop when they do land, however. Promise. Geez...

In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.

App News

Stone Age Has Returned From Its App-ocalyptic DemiseIn what might be the most surprising digital board game news of the entire year, formerly defunct Campfire Creations arose from the dead this week and resurrected their only offspring, the App-ocalypse victim, Stone Age: The Board Game.

That's right, an app that hasn't seen the whiff of an update since 2014 was suddenly updated and rescued from 32-bit oblivion. It's the same Stone Age we used to love, only now it plays nice with iOS 11.

The update also mentions, "major refactoring of codebase to allow for future development," but I have no idea what that means. Perhaps new content is coming to Stone Age, or perhaps they're going to use the Stone Age core to port different board games, or maybe it means nothing and is only there to have idiots like me blabber on and on about things they don't know anything about and keep talking even when it's clear they should have stopped talking a long time ago, you know how it is with some people, of course you do, they just keep talking and rambling on as if they've never heard of commas or periods they just keep on going and going obnoxiously like anyone even cares anymore oh and I should probably add Watney's Red Barrel. I'm glad I'm not like that.

Stone Age is available for iOS Universal and will run you $7. If you haven't played it, jump on board and you'll see a pretty great board game port and what was the cream of the crop back in 2012.

Reiner Knizia's Medici Gets Online MultiplayerI'm not sure what's in the water, but here's the second story of the day about the recent rumblings of a formerly dormant developer. In this case it's Codito Development, one of the best of the old school devs when it came to board game ports. Problem is, they hung up their keyboards a few years back only to reappear to save their apps from the App-ocalypse. Once that was done, I'd thought we'd seen the last of them as they rode off into the sunset.

Not surprisingly, I was wrong. Out of the blue today we learned that Medici, one of the first apps they released way back in 2010, was updated to include online multiplayer.

Huh? What? I can't even...

Oh my, I do believe I developed a bad case of the vapors!

I'm better now, but I'm still a bit shocked that an app so old it calls the iPad "Sonny" was just updated. An app that was around before I even started writing for this blog! And online multiplayer no less! I guess I need to go remember how to play Medici. It's not going to lose on its own.

Battle of Polytopia Goes OnlineWe've came to know and love our little 4X game of blocky folk, The Battle of Polytopia, almost as soon as it launched back in 2016 under the name Super Tribes. An excellent mini-Civilization game in which you explore, build, research, and fight over the course of 30 turns with the goal of getting the best score possible. It was a fantastic solo experience, and not once did I ever think, "Boy, this would be so much better is another human was humiliating me right now." As you should know by now, however, my opinions are worth less than the toilet paper I write them down on and Midjiwan went ahead and added online multiplayer to Battle of Polytopia.

From what I hear, it's actually rather excellent, too.

The game uses friend codes that you'll have to share to get your pals into a game with you, so it's kind of like Race for the Galaxy. I believe you can play either in domination mode (last one standing wins) or regular mode (highest score wins), and the online mode is asynchronous. I'm pretty sure it's also cross-platform between iOS and Android devices.

The update to play online is completely free, almost. You need to have bought at least one of the IAP tribes to unlock online multiplayer. Considering how good this game is and the fact that even Swedish developers need to eat, you should have been throwing money at the IAP anyway.

Get in there and crack some skulls. I'll be over here in the corner playing with myself. Well, not playing with myself, but...oh, nevermind.

Civilization VI for iPad Expands with Vikings and PolesWhen Civilization VI was released for iPad back in December, it was one of the best days the App Store had ever seen. Here was a full AAA title, straight from Steam, right there on the App Store. Not only that, it was a game that old people like myself could enjoy! Of course, it wasn't quite a clone of its Steam brother, with the PC and Mac versions several patches beyond the state the iPad version was in. So, the question was out there: would Aspyr Media, Inc. support the iPad version with patches and more content, or was the iPad version of Civilization VI just a fart in the wind?

Turns out it was the former! Hooray!

Today saw the release of two new expansions to download for the iPad version, the Viking Scenario Pack and the Polish Civilization Pack. Want to know what each one brings to the table? Of course you do:

Firaxis wrote:

Bring Europe under your rule as the mightiest Viking lord in the most detailed scenario released yet for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. The Viking Scenario Pack also includes three new Natural Wonders and six new City-States, two of which grant new tile improvements.

Includes six new City-States:-Auckland (Industrial): Additional production for Coastal tiles.-Antananarivo (Cultural): Culture bonus that increases with every Great Person earned.-Armagh (Religious): Builders can construct the Monastery improvement, which provides Faith and heals religious units.-Granada (Militaristic): Builders can construct the Alcazar improvement, which protects military units and provides Culture.-Muscat (Trade): Bonus Amenities in cities with a Commercial Hub.-Palenque (Scientific): Improved City growth for cities with a Campus.

Play as a great ruler of the Dark Ages in the “Vikings, Traders, and Raiders!” Scenario:-100 Turn Scenario, from 787 to 1087-Play as Harald Hardrada of Norway, King Canute of the Danes, or Olof Skotkonung of Sweden.-Launch a naval invasion of England, conquer Paris, find Vinland with an explorer, or sail through Gibraltar and raid the Mediterranean Sea.-Build a trade empire and profitable cities, or spread a religion and gain Faith for your people.-Includes special art assets for leaders.

Three new Natural Wonders:-Eyjafjallajökull-Lysefjord-Giant’s Causeway

The Viking Scenario Pack will run you a cool $5 via IAP. The Polish Civilization Pack coming up:

Firaxis wrote:

Jadwiga rules Poland in Sid Meier's Civilization VI!Religious and expansionist, Poland can gain control of other civ's tiles when they fortify their borders, and Jadwiga makes Relics more valuable and Holy Sites more effective. A new scenario is also included: stand at the crossroads of Europe protecting the fertile Polish homelands from those who would seize it to empower themselves. Can you stand as a bulwark against this threat?

Includes the complete Polish civilization with Jadwiga, Winged Hussar unique Unit, and Sukiennice unique Building:-Poland’s “Golden Liberty” unique ability allows them to gain territory when they build a Fort or Encampment, even allowing them to steal territory from other civs! They also convert a Military Policy slot into a Wildcard slot, giving them extra flexibility in culture.-Jadwiga allows you to spread your religion to the nearby city when you gain another civ’s territory with Golden Liberty. Her relics provide bonus Faith, Culture, and Gold.-The famous Winged Hussar is strong on the attack and can push back defending units.-The Sukiennice, or Cloth Hall, gives bonus Production from foreign Trade Routes, and Gold from internal Trade Routes.

Play as a great Polish noble lord in the “Jadwiga's Legacy” Scenario:-60 Turn limit.-Defend Poland, Prague, and Vienna from invaders including the Teutonic Knights and Ottoman Turks.-Gain glory in battle and prove yourself the greatest defender of Poland.

The Polish pack is also available via a $5 IAP.

If neither of these trip your trigger, then there's also the free Multiplayer Compatibility Pack in the IAP section of the app. This will allow you to play in multiplayer games even if you didn't fork over for the new content, you ol' Scrooge McDuck, you.

The big takeaway from all this is that Aspyr appears to be willing to support the iPad version of the app and, who knows, maybe someday we'll have the PC/Mac/Linux and iPad versions all on the same page. One can dream, can't they?

One Deck Dungeon Sets to Explore Early Access Next WeekLast week I mentioned that I was in the One Deck Dungeon beta and then proceeded to gloat about how much better I am than all of you. Well, I think I mentioned I'm better than Brad. That still stands, of course. Unless we're talking looks. Or smell. Or class. Okay, so Brad is better than me in every way but one, he didn't get into the One Deck Dungeon beta.

Turns out my chance to gloat is going to be short-lived, however. Today, Handelabra Games announced that One Deck Dungeon will be heading to Early Access on February 27th, so any schmuck can just go and buy it for themselves. There goes my fleeting sense of self-worth.

The Early Access build will be a pre-release build, so it will have bugs and stuff like that, but I haven't seen too many of those nasty critters while I've been playing. The Early Access build is for PC/Mac/Linux and will cost $15, while the final game will run $10. So, if you don't mind waiting until the actual, finished game is released you can save yourself $5.

The Early Access period should last 2-3 months, so we can expect the 1.0 version to release sometime between late April and June.

Handelabra wrote:

Early Access version is fully playable with the 5 heroes and 5 dungeons from the core game. Upcoming Early Access versions will add 2-hero parties, character progression, campaign mode, and other improvements.

Masters Gallery Available on AndroidSomehow [somehow? I believe it's because you're a jerk. -ed.], I missed this news which was sent to me over a year ago. Yep, a year ago. Never say we're not on top of the latest happenings here at iOS Board Games, the blog named for only one platform even though we cover Android and Steam games and sometimes even Switch. Don't ask, we're keeping the name on purpose just to annoy the hell out of a few of you.

Anyway, the news I missed is the fact that Reiner Knizia had another game ported to digital, but this time only to Android. That game is Masters Gallery and it's out now. In fact, it's been out for awhile. I GET IT, I SUCK! STOP STARING AT ME!

The game lacks any form of multiplayer at this point in time, but does have a rip-roaring solo mode against the AI. It's for Android [said that about 30 times now, move on please. -ed.] and runs $3.

Through the Ages' Steam Beta Testing BeginsIt's not just the One Deck Dungeon beta that made me think I was better than Brad, but I also just got into the Through the Ages beta on Steam. Take that, Cummings! [why are you doing this? -ed.]

The beta just started yesterday. Well, actually, I was just invited yesterday. There's no way they'd start without me, so I'm assuming the entire thing started yesterday. Yep, that checks out.

The app is for PC/Mac/Linux right now and runs pretty much just like its iOS forebear. There's even cross-platform multiplayer already implemented, so I'm playing all the matches I started on iPad on my laptop now. I do it with the sound way up, too, so everyone at the coffee shop knows how cool I am.

Not a lot else to mention here, other than the Steam version of last year's best game is currently in testing and should be released...soon? Someday? I have no idea, actually. I'll say sometime in 2018, how's that?

Pillars of Eternity: Lords of the Eastern Reach Now Available on Tabletop SimulatorA few years ago at Gen Con, we ran into the guys from Obsidian Entertainment who were pitching a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate called Pillars of Eternity. It looked cool (and when I got to finally play it, turned out to be pretty cool), but we were more intrigued by a couple of gents amiably pushing a tabletop game based on the new Obsidian property. It looked pretty sweet, but then time rolls on and you forget things and blah, blah, blah.

Well, it's time to remember because that game is called Pillars of Eternity: Lords of the Eastern Reach and it just arrived for Tabletop Simulator, meaning that anyone with a laptop can now give it a go for the low, low price of only $8. Yes, it was on sale until February 15th, but as the editor said earlier in this article, I'm a jerk. So, now you can pick it up for $8 and that's still not a bad price for a fully-featured Table Simulator DLC. Especially one with a video by Paul Grogan telling you how to play it right there on the Steam page! Now how much would you pay? Hmmm???

One thing we do remember about our meeting with Zero Radius Games is that Pillars of Eternity: Lords of the Eastern Reach was one of the prettiest damn games you'll ever see. From the pics of the Tabletop Simulator version, I think that all still comes through even in digital format.

Go, play it on Tabletop Simulator and when you fall in love with it, go buy the physical copy. Or send me one. I'd love to buy it, but my wife is going to kill me if I spend any more money on games. Literally kill me. Seriously, if you don't hear from me within 2 weeks time, call the police.

Warbands: Bushido Now Available on AndroidWarbands: Bushido was released for PC/Mac/Linux and iOS Universal over the past year-and-a-half or so, but this week it also came to Android. Why would we care? Because Warbands: Bushido is a well regarded tactical minis game that you can play on your touchscreen (or regular screen. It's fairly screen-neutral).

Warbands:Bushido is a miniatures board game arena with cards, miniatures, dice (i.e. dice random involved) and beautiful terrains to fight on, with both multiplayer battles boardgamers are used to, and challenging single-player scenarios.

Game has a isometric, tabletop-style look with miniature-style characters, cards, dice, pre-rendered battlefields and story-mode scenarios. There will be more than 50 various paintable units and heroes planned for full-scale release and later additions. Multiplayer skirmish will let you test your skills in best traditions of tabletop wargame classics with a fast-paced gameplay. While single-player scenarios with their own characters and events, are highly influenced by classic turn-based RPG tactics.

Game background - is the story of civil war in 16th century Japan, known as “Warring States period”. Samurais and ronins, criminals of all sorts, ninja clans, Chinese pirates, Portuguese mercenaries and firearms traders, all trying to benefit from anarchy and conflict. It is hard to find a more atmospheric and dense setting for a tactical board games.

Sound good? It is! Best yet, it's available for whatever platform you can think of (except for those that it's not). That's not all, the Android version even contains the latest Ninjas content, so all platforms are on the same page.

In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.

App News

Hostage Negotiator Released for iOS/AndroidIf you didn't already see Brad's video about the digital version of Hostage Negotiator that posted yesterday...SURPRISE! Hostage Negotiator has been released for iOS/Android. If you did see Brad's video or haven't been living under a rock since the game's release earlier this week, you can ignore this message.

Hostage Negotiator is a fun game filled with rainbow colors, unicorns, and pink clouds made of cotton candy. You just can't see any of that stuff because there's a terrorist in the foreground and a bunch of dead innocents. Good times! If you couldn't guess from the title, Hostage Negotiator is dark and grim and woof, those poor hostages.

The digital version is from Peter Kossits of Baseball Highlights 2045 fame and is a faithful recreation of the tabletop version. It's actually a really good recreation of the tabletop version. Peter knocked this one out of the park, although my old eyes wish the text was a little bigger. That said, I can always tap on cards to enlarge them.

If you're looking for a solitaire card/dice game with a little bit of bite to it, both in theme and strategy, give Hostage Negotiator a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I've Played the Digital Version of One Deck Dungeon and It's GreatEver since my Kickstarter copy of One Deck Dungeon showed up, it's been my go-to game for a quick solitaire fix. The game is quick and compact, and yet gives you a ton of decisions to make each turn. It's nearly perfect with the caveat that I can't play it while sitting on the toilet. This is obviously a crisis that Handelabra Games aims to solve. Their plan: create a digital port of ODD so you don't have to pick dice off of a filthy bathroom floor.

The game is currently in beta, so what I've seen might not be the finished product. That said, it's already fairly polished and is a blast to play on my laptop. I took a little video of gameplay that you can watch below. I don't know why my mic wasn't working. Considering that my voice sounds like the croaking of a bullfrog in heat, you should count yourselves lucky.

One Deck Dungeon should be heading to Early Access soon and then released when it's done. No word on when that will happen, but we do know that it is being released for both Steam as well as mobile platforms. We'll keep an eye out, you watch the video.

New D&D Game, Warriors of Waterdeep, In the WorksGame developer Ludia, has announced a new game based on everyone's favorite RPG from WotC, D&D. It's entitled Warriors of Waterdeep because everyone loves the Forgotten Realms and there are no other worlds anyone could possibly ever set a game in.

I'll admit (and you can probably tell), I'm a bit skeptical about this one. First of all, it's free-to-play which gets my spidey senses tingling. Secondly, it's a card game, which unless it's something completely new, I'm over. Then I watched the trailer and I have to admit that I'm a bit intrigued. It looks like cards might only be used as loot to equip on your characters rather than a typical CCG model, and it seems that you actually get some real dungeon crawling done in here. What the heck, count me in.

Warriors of Waterdeep will be coming soon, if their trailer is to be believed, and who are we to not believe it? Huh? Geez, get off your high horse, mister. Watch the dang trailer and move along!

Whenever You Think You're Having a Bad Day, Be Thankful Your Name Isn't WartileThere's something unpleasant about the name WARTILE. I mean, I get it: WAR + TILE, which makes sense considering it's a miniature skirmish game set on tiles similar to our old friend, HeroScape. That said, WARTILE just looks like a skin disorder when you see the word. I'm trying to unsee it and can't. Oh well.

Ignoring the bumpiness of the name, WARTILE is a miniature skirmish game that looks a lot like HeroScape if HeroScape was beautiful and real-time instead of turn-based. Yep, for some reason this is a real time game. Now, it's not like StarCraft or anything. In fact, the system they've implemented somewhat mimics turn-based play. It's called the "cooldown system" which puts cooldowns on all your figures once you move them, so they can't continually be moved. Thus, move all your figures and wait until they cooldown and you can use them again. Seems like a lot of work when, instead, they could have just gone turn-based, doesn't it?

That said, I haven't played it yet so I can't really make any judgements. I've heard good things, however, so I'm probably making too much of the whole real-time thing. Have I mentioned that WARTILE is real-time?

The art in this game is utterly fantastic with each battlefield represented by a 3D cutout and glorious artwork. Even if you don't like the real-time aspect (have I mentioned it was real-time yet?) you should check the game out just for the visuals. Wowza.

WARTILE is available right now on Steam for PC and it's on sale for only $15. A mac and tablet version is also in the works.

Tales from Candlekeep Gets a New CharacterI have a lot of games in my Steam library that are either unplayed or deserve to be played a lot more than they have been. One of those is Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation which arrived on Steam last year. Today, Tomb of Annihilation received a major update including a new character. Here's an official video for the character introduction:

That's right, it's a druid! Usually no one knows who they were or what they were doing, but we know this dude's name is Qawasha and that he's missing a "u".

A new character to play isn't the only thing that arrived in this massive update. Blurbage!

Details:Play Qawasha the Human Druid, an all new hero added to the game-Wild Shape into a savage ape or a ravenous velociraptor! Each form has its own unique abilities to add a new layer of strategy to your quests-Summon Storm Cloud hurling down bolts of lightning-Summon Qawasha's ally, Kupalué, to help you handle the undead threats of Chult-Invoke all new powers including: Longstrider (speed increase), Barkskin (armor increase) and Goodberry (healing ability)

New Feature:

Implemented an Extras menu to activate / deactivate DLCs in-game.

Bug Fixes:

-Mushroom pick-up fails now gives the player a die reroll properly when using a Luckstone-It is now possible to change resolution from 1440x900 to 1600x900 and vice versa-Added a combat text when Ice Storm misses the target-UI overlap when an encounter hint appears while dispel magic is equipped-Addressed various text entries in multiple languages-Artus can now use the jump ability on the Strawman-The dice rolls can now be manually stopped using the spacebar in the tutorial-Fixed an issue with Asharra's Acid Splash-Dragonbait’s Blessed Strike won’t trigger 2 Dice Rolls anymore-Changed the Russian and Simplified Chinese fonts-It is no longer possible to use items and Utility powers during dice rolls-It is no longer possible to die on top of enemies while bleeding-It is no longer possible to Roll for an attack during a Burning Saving Roll.-Changed the description of Melf’s Acid Arrow to reflect the poison status instead of stun-The value in the AC tooltips now takes gear bonus into consideration-The Burn status is now properly dispelled on a Roll of 8+-Hotfixed savegame issues when using Family Sharing options.

Now that's some update. Tales from Candlekeep: Tomb of Annihilation is available for both PC and Mac and has a name far too long to keep typing.

Greater Than Games Returning to Digital with Sentinels of FreedomNot a lot of info on this one, but Greater Than Games (Sentinel Comics) is heading back to digital and they're bringing along all those Sentinels we've come to know and love.

The new game is called Sentinels of Freedom and will be a tactical shoot-em-up set in the Sentinels Comics universe. It's being developed by Underbite Games and there are blurbs:

Underbite Games wrote:

Customize your Hero! Choose the characters backstory, personality, power source and archetype - each heavily impacting your final character. Heroes have "stances" that provide boosts to certain stats like enhanced dodging or even flight along with powerful sets of abilities and can be fully customized to fit your playstyle.

Game MechanicsSwapping stances between rounds allows you to prepare for upcoming challenges. As the game progresses, more abilities and stances will be unlocked. Heroes have special support actions and enemies can create formidable squads with even more powerful attacks and dynamic combos. The Vigilance and Support systems allow characters to react despite not being their turn. This could lead to hero trying to stay in cover or counter attacking when an active enemy moves or performs an action

Highlights-Create your Hero - choose backstory, archetype, powers, and appearance-Build your Team - select from the many available heroes and unlock more throughout-Character Personalities - heroes will have likes, dislikes, and preferences which influence the mission-Full story campaign - writers and creators from Sentinel Comics-Freeform movement - Turn Based game that allows you to move anywhere-Squad dynamics - heroes or villains can work together for more powerful actions-Living Environments - multiple objectives, interactions and dangers-Learning AI - enemies will start to adjust to current tactics and also make long term changes to strategy

We don't know much more, but we know it's coming to PC/Mac and it's also coming to Kickstarter on April 3rd. Don't worry, we'll remind you.

In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.

App News

Tabletopia Arrives for iPad in Beta FormWhen I hear about things like Tabletopia I should get super excited, but when I actually sit down to try it I tend to feel less than enthused. It's not you, Tabletopia, it's me. Seriously, I just really don't want to sit at my desktop or laptop and play digital board games. Starting yesterday, I no longer have to as Tabletopia has come to iPad.

Well, it's kind of come to iPad. It's more of an open beta, and there are currently only 6 games available on the platform. Oh, the hundreds of other games you can play on the Steam version are on their way, but bugs must be squashed first. The games available are:

The current version also only includes solitaire play and pass-and-play multiplayer. Online multiplayer is coming down the road.

If you're not familiar with Tabletopia, it's kind of like VASSAL, but easier to navigate. Games are presented in 3D glory and you simply sit and play the game like you would if you were sitting at a table. There are no tutorials and no rules enforcement, so if you're new to a game, it will take a little work on your part to get things rolling.

It's also a sandbox where you can create your own games and share them, which is a fairly amazing tool if you're a designer.

The Steam version requires that many games be purchased in order to play them, for example the Scythe module is $5, but there's also a subscription model as well. There's a free tier, but that doesn't allow "Premium" titles, so while you can buy Scythe, you'll need a monthly subscription to get its expansions. At least I think that's how it works. To be honest, I'm not a user so I'm getting all my info from their website. I'm sure many, many more of you have tried and use Tabletopia on a regular basis and can chip in more info in the comments.

Warhammer Quest 2 Expands with Lord of KhorneWarhammer Quest 2: The End Times arrived last year to reviews that were a bit more negative than the first entry in the series. Granted, Warhammer Quest was a fairly epic achievement in the early mobile scene, so maybe our expectations were a bit misguided. That said, WHQ2 wasn't a bad game, just failed to create the same tension and interesting decisions as the first game.

Today, Perchang hopes to put things back on track. A new expansion pack, Lord of Khorne, offers a whopping new area to explore, new dungeons, monsters, items, etc., as well as a new campaign where you're trying to destroy an incursion of the Blood God's followers.

That's not all that arrived today, however. There are also three new heroes you can purchase: the Ogre, Wardancer, and Warrior Priest. All these new classes have a different feel from anything we're used to with abilities such as leaping over monsters while dual-wielding or using their bulk to smash through groups of baddies.

Even if you don't want to drop any coin on the new stuff, the game has been updated to bring back one of the biggest missing components from the original game: ambushes. Now you're never quite sure of what's around the next corner as there could be a random enemy plopped in there just to make your day miserable. Yes, the game just became a lot harder.

The expansion is available via IAP for $5 while each new character can be had for $3/each. The base game is also on sale right now, chopped down from $5 to $3.

Battle of Polytopia Getting Multiplayer Next WeekThis story comes from the "do we really need this?" file. The fantastic little 4X game, The Battle of Polytopia, has been a staple on my phone for a couple years due to its quick playing, and yet deep, 4X gameplay. It's a fantastic solo game that gives you an epic feel in only 30 turns.

Next week Battle of Polytopia is spreading its wings and going online with online multiplayer. Now, it's had pass-and-play multiplayer since 2016, but I've never had the urge to try it. I know I'm in the minority, though, and a ton of people are looking forward to battling it out with friends online.

The online multiplayer will be released on Feb. 15 for both iOS and Android and will be cross-platform. From what I can gather via their forums, the online addition will only be available if you've purchased at least one of the additional tribes and it will be asynchronous.

Czech Games Edition Looking for Translation HelpLast year's Through the Ages app from Czech Games Edition continues to be one of my favorite apps to ever appear on mobile. Luckily, I'm an English speaker and that's one of the few languages the app is currently available in. CGE is hoping to change that, but they'll need some folks who actually speak those other languages to get them up and running.

They already have a Chinese and Spanish version underway, but could use help getting whatever language you know up and running as well. Yes, even Klingon, if that's your bag.

CGE wrote:

We have received many requests to translate TTA to all kinds of languages. We are currently working with some partners on official translations - Chinese and Spanish are already confirmed and some others are being negotiated.But we also want to give our players an opportunity to make their own community translations!If anyone is interested in translating TTA app to a language of their choice, they may sign up by filling in the following form:https://goo.gl/forms/iEfmFwRx8CQ9sjvy2We will provide the data, help to select translation tools and we will organise the beginnings of the translations.

So, there you go. If you're bilingual and willing to help CGE out follow that link and see where it leads you. Good luck!

Civilization VI Expands with Rise and FallOne of the best strategy games I have on my laptop (and iPad) is Firaxis' latest foray in the 4X genre, Civilization VI. I love, love, love it, even though I know it has its detractors (you're all wrong). This morning, the first major expansion was released for Civ VI, Civilization VI: Rise and Fall.

This expansion adds some cool stuff that we haven't seen in previous Civ titles such as governors, loyalty, and history. Governors are folks you can hire and that will level up, providing a city with bonuses based on what that governor's specialties are. Loyalty in your population drops the farther away you are from another city and based on how few amenities your people have. If loyalty in a particular city drops too low, it can leave your empire and become a free city. History is how golden ages and dark ages are handled, and require you to do a certain number of cool things (discover this first, meet a new civ, blow up a barbarian, build a wonder, etc.) before the current era ends. Fail and you're looking at spending the next age in the Dark Ages. Succeed and it's all sunshine and pennies from heaven.

I'm simplifying everything here mainly because I'm lazy and don't feel like writing anymore [points for honesty -ed.]. The expansion also includes new civilizations, new units, wonders, etc. Basically all the stuff you expect in a Civ expansion.

The expansion is only available right now for Windows. It will be out for Mac/Linux somewhere down the road, most likely toward the end of March. As for the iPad version, it remains to be seen if that will be getting any other DLC much less a full-blown expansion pack. That said, I hear the iPad version is currently 50% off, and it's still great, so pick it up if you haven't already.